Odisha CM urges PM Modi to add default provision for funds in NREGASoft

Seeking the addition of a default provision in e-governance system NREGASoft, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

The state chief requested PM Modi to review the provisions for the drawal, utilization and recoupment of budgetary allocation towards "State's Revolving Fund" to prevent delay in payment of wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG).

NREGAsoft is a local language-enabled workflow-based e-Governance system and is available in offline as well as the online mode to capture all the activities under NREGA at the Center/ State/ District/ Block and Panchayat level.

Earlier in July, the Odisha Government decided to provide additional 200 days of work over and above the guaranteed 100 days of work mandated under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREG) Act, 2005 in the 20 migration-prone Blocks of the four districts of the State.

In this regard, the State Cabinet headed by state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved a New State Sector Scheme-- State Support to MGNREGS.

The MGNREGA ensures legal rights of wage employment to the adults (of rural households) willing to do unskilled manual labour for 100 days per household. According to the law, every rural household has the right to register itself under the MGNREG Act.

"In order to arrest distress migration in the 20 migration-prone Blocks of the four Districts namely Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi and Nuapada, the Cabinet approved a new State Sector Scheme 'State Support to MGNREGS'," said an official statement from the Panchayati Raj Department.

"The job seekers under MGNREGA in the 20 migration-prone blocks of the four districts will be paid additional wages over and above the notified wage rate under MGNREGA to be commensurate with the notified minimum wage rate for the unskilled workers in the state per person per day," it added.

As per the statement, the differential amount (i.e. Notified minimum wages for the unskilled workers in the State - Notified wage rate under MGNREGA) per person per day will be borne by the State government under the new State Sector Scheme, State Support to MGNREGS.

"The entire cost towards the payment of wages at unskilled wage rate notified by the State government per person per day, beyond the guaranteed 100 days of wage employment under MGNREGA will be borne by the State Government under the new State Sector Scheme: State Support to MGNREGS," the statement added.